Frozen Over
by Blue1272000
Summary: It was over, I was frozen. This is a One-shot I did for SecretClan's challenge, literally frozen. I think it's some of my best work, it's rated T, but it's not really any worse then the original warrior series.


**This is a little One-shot I did for Secretclan's challenge- Literally Freezing**

**Enjoy!**

**Frozen over**

_ Iceleaf jumped over the stream _and out of camp_,_ she felt a surge of pride as she watched two apprentices pad past her with prey in their jaws and as she watched, they leaped the stream into camp, "good job you two, go give that to the elders," she ordered. They nodded and bounded over to the elders den where they quickly disappeared into the dark den.

Iceleaf allowed herself a purr of amusement as the apprentices came out again with dirty moss under their chins. She glanced around the RiverClan camp once more before padding out toward the lake in the hope of finding some fish in the freezing waters. She hurried along the stream to where it emptied into the lake, that would be the best place to find fish.

Iceleaf passed a border patrol that was heading back to camp, paw-sore and weary after patrolling all the boundaries. Then she stiffened as she noticed Scorchclaw at the back of the group, glaring hatefully at her, she forced herself to meet his glare steadily until he looked away. She sighed and followed the path to the lake less energetically, feeling all her misgivings about Scorchclaw come back to her.

They had always competed and fought about everything, when they were kits it had been who could catch the moss ball. When they were apprentices, who won in mock battle fights and who could catch the most fish. It had started out as a rivalry between friends, but when she had won over and over again, constantly beating him by a fish tail in every competition, it had turned more and more bitter.

She sighed again, it hadn't helped when she was made an apprentice at the same time as he had even though he was a moon older then her, or when she had been made a warrior two moons before him. And that she had already had two apprentices and he was only starting his first this Leaf-bare, and then the most recent reason he had to hate her.

Three moonrises ago she had been made deputy when the previous deputy, her father Reedclaw, had retired to the elders den. And she had been made deputy, though Scorchclaw had said time and time again that it was his greatest goal to be deputy, and she had promised not to become deputy until he was leader. He had felt betrayed by her and hated her all the more now.

She wondered again if it had been right to break her promise, but she had wanted it so badly and didn't feel the need to wait. _When I'm leader, I'll make him my deputy to make up for it,_ she thought, though it didn't really even convince her.

She glanced around her and realized that she was already at the lake, she smoothed down the fur on her chest in embarrassment, though no cat was near enough to see her. Iceleaf shook out her fur and looked around, to the right of her was WindClan territory, as cold and barren looking as usual. Though see saw a cat chasing after a rabbit before disappearing and then reappearing with the dead prey in his jaws a moment later.

To the left was the Green-leaf twoleg-place, but it was deserted now that it was the start of Leaf-bare. Past the small twoleg-place was ShadowClan territory, she had fought along with her clan against ShadowClan more then once over one thing or another.

The dark pine trees showed more green beneath the light covering of snow and she noticed movement north toward ThunderClan's dense forest. _How do they walk around with all those brambles and thorns getting in their way?_ She shook her head from the useless thought and studied the lake.

The wind blew large ripples around the lake, and the waves lapped against the bank louder then she would have thought, _that's probably why the lake hasn't frozen yet, its to windy for the ice to form ._ She could see the gathering island looking cold and lonely as she thought it always did, except on the full moon.

She looked down into the deep, blue water, it reflected the blue sky covered with clouds with her face looking as pretty as always. She knew it was vain of her to think that she was prettier then most cats, but she was and a lot of other cats thought so as well, though no other cat would say so out loud.

Her pale silver fur gleamed in the shadowy sunlight, and the one white spot over her left eye blended in with her icy blue eyes. She knew it unnerved some cats when she stared at them, but she used it to her advantage in battle, to faze younger cats who dared attack her.

There was a splash and drops of water flicked her face, she broke her gaze away from her reflection and saw a hawk flying away with a fish in it's talons. _Hey! It just stole my prey!_ but her fur prickled in embarrassment. She had come here to get food for her clan and so far she hadn't even attempted to catch a fish.

Iceleaf shook her head and got into a special, low crouch, so that her shadow didn't fall on the water, and waited with one paw raised to strike. She didn't have to wait long, a trout came swimming from the stream and fell down the little bump into the lake, right where she was waiting. She shot her paw out faster then lighting, the water was so cold her paw went numb instantly, and she gasped in shock at it's icy chill.

Clumsily scooping the fish out of the water, she threw it behind her where she quickly pounced and ended it's life. She moved back to her spot and crouched down again, waiting for another fish to swim past for her to grab. Soon she had a large pile of fish, _weird, usually the fish stay in the middle of the lake where its warmer for Leaf-bare, but this season they're staying close to the bank._

She shrugged, she couldn't be bothered by the doings of prey, and it was starting to get dark, she needed to get back to camp before she froze. Her paws were wet and were colder then ice as she picked up her wet prey which dripped into her fur and made her chest wet, because her thick fur soaked it all up.

That was the another thing she didn't have in common with other RiverClan cats, no matter how many fish she ate her fur was still as thick as a ThunderClan cat. Which meant she got colder when she caught prey in Leaf-bare, and stayed wet much longer then other cats, whose pelts shed water like holly leaves.

But it had never stopped her from hunting for her clan or training and fighting in water any less then her other clan-mates. But it did make her more likely then her clan mates to get colds in Leaf-bare. She jumped across the stream, struggling to hold onto her slippery catch as she landed on a icy patch of dead grass. She entered camp and padded past her clan mates to lay her prey on the fresh-kill pile, taking a mouse some cat had managed to catch from the pile for herself.

She didn't mind the musky taste from the mouse, like some RiverClan cats did, but that was probably because her mother had been a rogue before joining the clan. Her mother had been a pale grey tabby named Snow, Snow had met Reedclaw and they had fallen in love. Snow had gotten excepted into the clan after saving an apprentice from a dog, and had her name changed to Snowdapple, when she had soon announced she was expecting kits.

Snowdapple and Iceleaf's littermates were lost to green-cough, and Iceleaf was left alone with her father Reedclaw. Iceleaf had been pampered and spoiled as a kit, and had been given the leader as a mentor as an apprentice, which had added more to Scorchclaw's bitterness.

Scorchclaw's mother had been a lazy warrior who hardly ever came back with prey when she went hunting, and his father was a deformed warrior who had to retire to the elders den soon after Scorchclaw had been kitted. They had both died from the same green cough epidemic that had taken Iceleaf's mother and littermates.

She sighed as she saw Reedclaw limp over to her, his back leg twisted to a weird angle, and Iceleaf wondered yet again, how he had become deputy when he had been injured with such a serious deformity. "Reedclaw, how are you today?" she asked politely, but she felt a flare of irritation as Reedclaw just nodded dully and picked up a trout from the pile.

He had been like this ever since she had taken Snaketooth as a mate, she knew Reedclaw had hated and mistrusted him because he was half-clan, but he was still a clan-mate. She leaned down and liked her softly rounded belly, she hadn't told any cat that she was expecting kits yet. But was planning on telling Snaketooth that evening.

She finished her meal and looked around for Snaketooth, she had assigned him to the dusk patrol, and they were due back any time now. She settled down in the middle of the clearing to wait for Snaketooth, and watched as her clan-mates padded around her. Getting fresh-kill, sharing tongues, or going to their dens for the night.

The sky was a dark purple speckled with stars when the dusk patrol finally arrived, she purred as Snaketooth bounded over to her and nuzzled her. His dark brown and black spotted pelt was soft and silky as he pressed his cold pelt against her warm one. His pale amber eyes glowed with happiness as she whispered softly into his ear. "Snaketooth… I'm expecting kits."

...

Iceleaf stretched in her nest, two bundles by her belly purred as she nuzzled them, it was five moons since she had told Snaketooth that she was expecting kits. And now her kits were born and three moons old, and she was relived that Scorchclaw had been made temporary deputy when she had moved to the nursery.

She had a faint hope that she would be able to rekindle their old friendship, but from the way he still was so bitter that it didn't seem likely anytime soon. She nudged her two she-kits, one was a silver and white tabby with bright green eyes named Songkit. The other was a fluffy dark grey kit with dark green eyes, like the color of the pine trees, and was named Pinekit.

They were both beautiful and she couldn't wait to watch them grow into apprentices and become respected warriors. She could see it now, her and Snaketooth hunting with their daughters, swimming and catching fish in the lake on a green-leaf day with the sky a bright blue and the sun smiling down on them. She shivered out of her memories as she heard harsh coughing from the medicine-cat den.

She sighed, Scorchclaw's mate, Brightcloud, had green-cough, and Poppyheart, the medicine-cat, wasn't sure she would make it. Brightcloud had been born in a litter just after her own mother had died and cared for her and Scorchclaw when his mother died. Brightcloud and Scorchclaw had always been close friends and had become closer mates when they had become warriors.

Iceleaf knew Brightcloud had always tempered off the competitiveness and anger that Scorchclaw had for her, and she wondered what would happen if Brightcloud did die. Scorchclaw would be devastated, and she wondered if he would continue to try to keep his loathing for her unknown to all the cats. She guessed he was strong enough to handle a little death, and would keep it together. She sighed, and drifted off back to sleep.

...

Iceleaf woke up the next morning and nuzzled her kits again, but this time they whimpered, she studied them closely. They were burning with fever, but kept shivering, and their breathing was hoarse, struggling for each breath, while their noses streamed and their eyes looked wet and slimy.

Iceleaf froze with fear, her kits had been attacked by the one thing she couldn't fight for them, but she could help. Jumping up, she raced to the medicine-cat den where Poppyheart was about to feed Brightcloud the last bit of catmint. "Poppyheart wait!" she mewed, Poppyheart turned to look at her in surprise, "what's wrong Iceleaf?" she mewed in worry.

"My kits have green-cough! Please help them!" she begged, her eyes were watering and there was a heavy lump in her throat. "Help the kits first," Brightcloud rasped, "you need this to," Poppyheart started arguing, but Brightcloud shook her head. "I refuse to take anything from kits," she mewed.

Iceleaf looked at her friend in gratitude and sadness, Brightcloud looked near the end anyway, her kits could be saved, but Brightcloud couldn't. "But what about your life, your mate, your future kits" Poppyheart mewed, her voice choking, Iceleaf remembered they were sisters, though Poppyheart was from an older litter.

"I've had enough time to know the enjoyments of life, these kits have only just started, and I couldn't do that to my friend," Brightcloud rasped. Iceleaf looked at Brightcloud, the silver tabby with ginger splotches was shaking from the effort of holding her head up, and her once bright, clear eyes were unfocused and foggy.

"Thank you," she mewed to her friend sincerely, Brightcloud nodded and lay her head down again, Poppyheart nodded, grabbed the catmint and followed her to the nursery. Poppyheart fed the two kit's the catmint, and after four days, they recovered from their sickness and were as playful and happy as before.

...

On the fifth night Iceleaf woke up to a paw shaking her awake, she looked up to see Scorchclaw, his eyes looked blank and cold as ice. "What is it Scorchclaw?" she mumbled sleepily, "Brightcloud wants to see you," his mew was lost and distant. Iceleaf felt a jolt of alarm, Brightcloud hadn't gotten better since she had given up the catmint to the kits, and some cats had thought she was a lost cause.

Scorchclaw had snarled at them that she was still alive and there was still hope she would recover, he seemed to no longer hold that fire. Iceleaf padded past Scorchclaw and toward the medicine-cat den and padded up to Brightcloud.

It was a pitiful sight, Brightcloud's eyes were so foggy that Iceleaf could hardly see they were blue, her fur was matted and patched, making her look older then the oldest elder. And her voice rasped painfully in her throat as she spoke, "Iceleaf, please take care of Scorchclaw, console him and help him see that I will always be with him, even from StarClan, goodbye Iceleaf, I'll miss you."

Brightcloud fell limp and the light died from her eyes, Iceleaf felt grief well up in her and she forced herself to step forward and nuzzle the dead she-cat. "Goodbye Brightcloud, thank you for saving my kits, and I'll see you again when the time is right," she whispered.

...

It was half a moon since Brightcloud had died, Scorchclaw had become cold and unresponsive since her death and had refused his temporary deputy duties. It seemed almost as if all the fire had died from him with her, and now he was left cold and empty. Even though she still had kits, she had resumed ordering out patrols and keeping the clan going in the dark Leaf-bare.

She had just sent out the dusk patrol and was about to go to her den where her kits were waiting for her. When she saw a dark ginger figure with cold green eyes heading toward her, _Scorchclaw? What does he want?_

She stiffened as he approached her, readying herself for sharp words or scorn from her old friend, but now enemy. But Scorchclaw only said, "come with me to the lake, we need to talk," normally those words would mean two cats would have a heated discussion over problems they had. But the way he said it, the words were empty, holding no reassurance or promise, holding no life, they were colder then ice.

She nodded anyway, and followed him out of camp, purring as her daughters tumbled around with each other. She shivered as a very cold wind blew past her and pierced her thick fur, it had been colder then normal all day, and now that the sun had gone down and the wind had picked up, it was so cold that it _hurt._

She started running to the lake, hoping it would warm her up and she could get back to her kits sooner. Scorchclaw caught up to her and passed her, running faster then the sharp wind, and she saw him sitting by the lake when she arrived. She paced around to keep herself warm while Scorchclaw sat motionless with the ice of the lake by his red paws.

"Well?" she prompted, getting annoyed that he dragged her out here on this dangerously cold night, and then not even trying to talk to her. "Poppyheart said that the catmint she was going to use to save Brightcloud was given to your kits instead," he mewed darkly. Iceleaf paused in her pacing, "yes, Brightcloud gave up the catmint for my kits on her own choice," she mewed.

Scorchclaw didn't move, "your kits only had white-cough, they could have recovered on other herbs, but Brightcloud had green-cough, she _needed_ it," he growled, his voice steadily growing darker and colder. "She didn't want to," she started weakly, not even knowing where she was going, "_Brightcloud needed it more!_" Scorchclaw snarled.

Jumping to his paws he stalked toward her dangerously, "Scorchclaw calm down, death is a part of life, you have to move on," she mewed soothingly. Trying to keep her fear out of her voice, she knew if it came to a fight she wasn't likely to win. But Scorchclaw wasn't listening, his eyes held pain and sorrow, but also a deep hatred and rage in their burning green depths.

"You were always favored more then me!" he yowled in rage, he lunged for her, but she darted away toward the lake. "Your mother was a rogue, and your father a deformed deputy! But still everyone loved you as a kit while every cat thought I was lazy and useless like my mother," Scorchclaw continued to rage.

"When we were apprentices, you had the leader as a mentor while I had a young warrior who didn't even know what he was doing! And then you become a warrior _two moons_ before me!, even though I'm older then you, and was more skilled then you! You promised you wouldn't become deputy before I did, and then when you were offered the chance, what did you do? Did you refuse and stay true to your promise? No! you took the offer, betraying me!" Scorchclaw snarled viciously.

"Now Scorchclaw," she tried to calm him, but he was in no mood to listen to anything she had to say and continued. "And then you take away the one cat who mattered more to me then anything else in the world, just to save your kits who _probably wouldn't_ have died!" he roared, his eyes blazing in rage, they were twin scorching flames of hatred aimed right at her.

Iceleaf stepped back onto the ice and heard it crackle under her paws, she faintly remembered the kit story used to keep kits from going on the ice. A ShadowClan cat named Flametail was using the ice to get across the lake without being seen when the ice broke and he fell in. The story said his spirit was trapped underwater and waited for other cats to come and share in his fate.

Scorchclaw obviously had thought of the same thing, "I guess we're going to find out if its true that Flametail's spirit is waiting for you or not," he leered. She caught her breath as he lunged for her, she tried to dart away, but her paws slipped on the ice and he grabbed her between his front paws.

He looked at her cruelly, his eyes deep pits of pain and betrayal, she suddenly realized how much he had been hurt, but had never showed it because of Brightcloud. But now that Brightcloud was gone, he had no reason to hold back his rage.

"I am going to make you pay for every thing the clan gave you and took away from me!" he growled in her ear. He readied himself, tensing his muscles, then flung her away from him across the lake. She skidded on the ice until she had almost reached the middle, there was cracking and popping from the ice, but it did not break.

Sighing a breath of relief, she got carefully got onto her belly and started crawling toward to shore, slowly but surely. She had almost reached the shore when Scorchclaw appeared again, he broke the ice by slamming his paw down hard. She stood up on her paws as he leaped the hole he had made and stalked threateningly toward her.

She hissed as he approached, trying to reason with him one last time she mewed, "I am your deputy, by the warrior-code you cannot harm me without suffering the wrath of StarClan," she mewed firmly. Scorchclaw cackled at her, "what can StarClan or the clans do to me that has not already happened? I've been disgraced, pushed aside, my parents are dead, my only littermate is dead, my mate is dead, and my last friend, _you,_ betrayed me!" his voice got angrier and louder every time he listed a wrong done onto him.

She was silent for a second, she hadn't known he had been so upset over all these things, he lunged for her in her silence. "You are dead to me, and soon you will be dead to every other cat" he snarled softly, he flung her across the ice again, she vainly tried to stop herself from falling into the hole, she unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ice.

But it was to late, her hind end fell into the hole, icy cold water instantly numbed her as she struggled to keep herself from completely being submerged. "Help me Scorchclaw! And I'll make amends for all I have done wrong to you!" she begged.

Scorchclaw padded toward her, his claws gleamed in the faint moonlight and they scratched against the ice, causing a dreadful sound and made her flatten her ears to try to block out the noise. Scorchclaw reached her flailing front paws and hissed, "there is nothing you, or any cat can do to help me or make amends for what you have to me," he cried, this time sounding so sad and pitiful Iceleaf felt a pang of guilt despite what he was doing to her.

She looked back down at the icy water and saw with horror that ice was starting to form on her fur, she looked back at Scorchclaw who was noticing the ice as well. "It is a suiting end for you _Ice_leaf, being frozen in ice, very suiting indeed," he mewed thoughtfully. He glanced at her where she was struggling and raised a paw, he brought it down on the ice she had her front paws on and it splintered in two with a deafening _"crack!"_

She plunged into the icy water and struggled to fight against the weariness and the numbness that dragged at her paws. She came to the surface for a second before going under again, it was so cold, so cold, it was colder then the coldest rain and snow, colder then sleet, colder then ice.

She felt something crackling around her, looking down at her fur she saw ice forming around her and on her fur. She tried to use her paw to swipe away the ice, but it was to cold and covered in a coating of ice of it's own. She raised her head and saw Scorchclaw looking down at her from the hole, _he did this to me!_ she tried to snarl but water flooded into her mouth and she choked,.

She knew she was completely frozen now, thoughts flashed in her mind, her apprentice ceremony, training long and hard in water with Scorchclaw, then Scorchpaw. She saw her warrior ceremony, the pride and grief in her father's eyes, she saw getting apprentices of her own. She saw herself falling in love with Snaketooth, becoming deputy, having kits, and watching Brightcloud fall back lifeless.

Then she saw her dreams, her dream of swimming in the lake with her kits and mate, becoming leader, and having more kits with Snaketooth. Blinking away the memories she looked around with her eyes, for now her head was completely frozen, and saw that her head was over the other ice, the rest of her body was below the top covering of ice.

She knew this was the end, and was all to painfully aware that she would never live any of her dreams, she would never become leader, she would never have more kits, and her only kits would hardly even remember her. She felt to tears come out of her eyes and freeze halfway down her cheek, she let out a cry and closed her frozen eyes. Knowing they would never again open, because it was over, she was frozen.

**So, did you like it? remember to review before you leave this page!**


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